Using Sex to Sell

I don’t mean sex as in sexuality and being a sex kitten, or a Romeo, while on the job. I mean sex as in gender; there are basic differences between men and women in their brains, and in their buying styles. If you know the differences, you can use them to your advantage.

—— Men buy, women shop! Facts vs. relationship! ——

She wants interaction and eye contact.
He wants concise factual answers to his questions.

For a man, ‘no’ means you haven’t given him enough information, stick with the facts! Ask what is missing for him and give it to him!

For a woman, ‘no’ really means no, so have a plan B ready and practice your patience skills; follow up becomes everything! Figure out what is missing and trust her.

For all my feminists and gays out there – this also isn’t about loosing any of the ground we’ve gained, we all deserve to be paid equally and have the same human rights, but when it comes to sex, we aren’t the same, we are not equal. Acknowledging it, is a far more powerful place from which to come. Since women now represent more than a whopping 85% of brand purchases.

Quick facts:

70% of new businesses are started by women

85% of all brand purchases are made by women

91% of new homes

80% of health care

93% food

65% new cars

93% over-the-counter meds

Do you want to know the #1 issue for men and women when buying?Women: Lack of sales help when neededMen: Close parking

That’s a huge spectrum!

Female clients prefer that you listen with 100% attention when selling to them. Women will pick up on your emotions much quicker, so no false compliments guys and don’t patronize.

On the other hand, a woman can give all sorts of compliments to a man and he’ll just love it. It doesn’t matter whether you mean it or not because he can’t tell the difference. This is why some guys think the stripper is really in love with them.

Segue to the sale
The key point to bring to the forefront when selling is, be respectful. Meet them wherever they are:

If she says she doesn’t have the money, then she doesn’t see the value – you have not evidenced what is missing for her. Go back and ask: why aren’t you buying this product, what is missing for you? Surprisingly few sales people ask this question, yet it is the one they want to know the most, ‘what would make you buy this product?’

Mercedes example: if I had a brand new Mercedes out front and told you it was yours for $5, you would see the value! If you didn’t have $5, you would borrow 50 cents from everyone around you to come up with it, the value is evident. Present your product or service’s value clearly, because it is never about the money.

If she doubts your product – she need more facts, and client testimonials of success.

If they doubt your company – give them references and reassurance, don’t wait to be asked, make it as easy as possible for them to do business with you.

And, lastly, let the clients sell themselves! If they aren’t ready to buy – follow through is everything. Remember, 80% of sales are made on the fifth to twelfth contact!

The science behind it
Renowned Mars Venus author, John Gray, outlines the sales differences between men and women beautifully, in Venus on Fire, Mars on Ice.

“The larger bridge connecting the left and right hemispheres in women’s brains means women can process more information and do it more quickly than can their male counterparts. While men focus intently on one task at a time, women are fractal thinkers and frequently multitask. Understand how to apply that information to sales: successful sales efforts to men require presenting facts and getting to the point quickly, while successful sales to women include time to talk, identify common interests, relate to personal issues; in essence, to bond first, prior to beginning any sales effort.

Female Preferences:

Female prospects after an initial proposal may place an order and be more talkative after they’ve had a few days to think about it.

During the early stages of a relationship with a new client, a female client is more likely to hold your feet to the fire on your statement that you have made a “casual commitment” to them.

Female clients prefer that you listen with 100% attention when selling to them.

Pausing before presenting your solution (even if you already have a solution) is more socially acceptable to female clients, because they want to be a part of coming up with the solution and do not want the solution rushed.

Female clients prefer to know how the product will meet their needs when buying.

When a female client or coworker is stressed about a problem she is more likely to walk around talking to coworkers rather than shutting the door and working out the problem.

Boasting or self-promoting to female clients can turn them off to a sale.

Male Preferences:

Male prospects make quicker decisions after receiving a sales proposal.

Male clients prefer to know your credentials and dwell on them before making a sale.

After the sales proposal has been made, if the offer is higher than what he expected to pay for your goods or services, male prospects are more likely to be quieter during this meeting.

Male prospects tend to favor being shown appreciation rather than respect when selling a service or product.

When making your point make sure you are clear in your message to male clients.

Male clients prefer quick solutions to a problem.

Male clients prefer people to be brief and come to the point quickly when making a sale.

Male clients need the most space to think alone after a proposal submission has been made.”

Men buy, women shop! Facts vs. relationship!

She wants interaction and eye contact.
He wants concise factual answers to his questions.